diff --git a/config/settings.py b/config/settings.py
index 541d751b8..ee65e1379 100644
--- a/config/settings.py
+++ b/config/settings.py
@@ -490,6 +490,38 @@ class TimeoutSettings(BaseModel):
             "Env: TIMEOUTS__CATCHUP_DISABLED_WARN_HOURS."
         ),
     )
+    beacon_settle_timeout_s: float = Field(
+        default=90.0,
+        ge=0.0,
+        le=600.0,
+        description=(
+            "Settle window (seconds) the release verify waits on a process "
+            "that is mid-boot -- exec'd, but not yet at its boot-beacon write "
+            "(scripts/update/service.py::verify_running_release_settled). A "
+            "bridge or worker restarted while `/update` runs presents exactly "
+            "like a broken beacon (missing, or orphaned by the previous "
+            "image), so the verify reports `unknown` and masks both a genuine "
+            "`stale` and a clean `matches`. Only a LIVE process younger than "
+            "this window is waited on; every other `unknown` is terminal and "
+            "returns immediately. GRAIN OF SALT: provisional/tunable. The "
+            "bridge writes its beacon after the Telegram connect (~30s after "
+            "exec on this fleet); this is that plus headroom for a slow "
+            "catchup, and it doubles as the cap on how long a never-arriving "
+            "beacon can stall the run. Env: TIMEOUTS__BEACON_SETTLE_TIMEOUT_S."
+        ),
+    )
+    beacon_settle_interval_s: float = Field(
+        default=3.0,
+        gt=0.0,
+        le=60.0,
+        description=(
+            "Re-classification interval (seconds) inside the boot-beacon "
+            "settle window above. GRAIN OF SALT: provisional/tunable -- fine "
+            "enough to exit promptly once the beacon lands, coarse enough not "
+            "to spin `git log` per second. Env: "
+            "TIMEOUTS__BEACON_SETTLE_INTERVAL_S."
+        ),
+    )
 
 
 class HybridEvalSettings(BaseModel):
diff --git a/docs/features/bridge-self-healing.md b/docs/features/bridge-self-healing.md
index 355103ee8..7d00ce68e 100644
--- a/docs/features/bridge-self-healing.md
+++ b/docs/features/bridge-self-healing.md
@@ -549,6 +549,8 @@ Four coordinated pieces verify that the running processes actually execute the p
 | `stale` | beacon belongs to the current image AND that relevant-range log is non-empty |
 | `unknown` | beacon missing/malformed, no PID, `process_start_ts` unavailable, an orphaned beacon (`beacon_ts <= process_start_ts`), or `boot_sha` unresolvable by git |
 
+**Boot-window settle poll** (`scripts/update/service.py::verify_running_release_settled`): the classification table above is read at one instant, and a process that is *mid-boot* at that instant — exec'd, but not yet at its beacon write — presents exactly like a broken beacon (missing, or orphaned by the previous image). Before classifying, the verify re-polls any process whose `unknown` is mid-boot (running, start ts readable, exec'd less than `settings.timeouts.beacon_settle_timeout_s` ago, beacon absent or orphaned) every `settings.timeouts.beacon_settle_interval_s` until it resolves or the window elapses. Both are provisional and env-overridable (`TIMEOUTS__BEACON_SETTLE_TIMEOUT_S`, `TIMEOUTS__BEACON_SETTLE_INTERVAL_S`). This is the generalization of the worker's `--since` poll: it covers a restart by *any* actor — this run's own kickstart, the watchdog's recovery chain, a plain launchd relaunch — not just the ones able to set the planned-restart skip signal, which is why a bridge restarting outside the update's control no longer degrades the verdict to `unknown`. Terminal unknowns (no PID, unreadable start ts, a long-running process with no beacon, an unresolvable `boot_sha`) return immediately and never burn the window.
+
 Staleness is positive-only and scoped to each process's own relevant path set (bridge: `bridge/ agent/ mcp_servers/ models/ tools/ config/ pyproject.toml`; worker: `worker/ agent/ mcp_servers/ models/ tools/ bridge/ reflections/ pyproject.toml`), the same sets the restart gates diff, so classifier and restart gate agree by construction. A raw `boot_sha == HEAD` comparison is never used: docs-only or plan-migration commits advance HEAD past a healthy, correctly-un-restarted process, and a literal-equality check would false-fail on the majority of this repo's commit stream. `unknown` never fails a run and never triggers a restart. Only a positive, confirmed staleness escalates.
 
 **Bridge kickstart in `remote-update.sh`**: After the pull and the worker kickstart, the shell computes `NEED_BRIDGE_RESTART` from a `BEFORE_SHA..AFTER_SHA` diff of the bridge-relevant paths, gated on the bridge plist being installed on this machine (`[ -f "$BRIDGE_DST" ]`; a skills-only machine has no bridge plist and skips the block entirely). When true, it runs `launchctl kickstart -k {prefix}.bridge` as the **last** thing the script does. This is safe because the bridge holds no agent sessions (the worker is the sole session executor) and its Telethon `catch_up=True` scan backfills anything missed during the brief restart. It is the last act because the kickstart SIGKILLs the whole bridge launchd job, including `handle_update_command` and the `remote-update.sh` child it spawned, since they share the job's process group. Nothing in the shell runs after a successful kickstart. Both worker and bridge kickstart failures surface as a distinct `RESTART FAILED` line and a non-zero terminal exit (`RESTART_FAILED || VERIFY_FAILED`).
diff --git a/scripts/update/run.py b/scripts/update/run.py
index dbeaf7de6..2023a099b 100644
--- a/scripts/update/run.py
+++ b/scripts/update/run.py
@@ -800,7 +800,9 @@ def run_release_verify(
     """
     try:
         head_short = git.get_short_sha(project_dir)
-        release_check = service.verify_running_release(project_dir, head_short, machine_check)
+        release_check = service.verify_running_release_settled(
+            project_dir, head_short, machine_check
+        )
 
         # Self-heal a stale worker in place before alerting (issues #2400/#2220).
         worker_info = release_check.get("worker")
diff --git a/scripts/update/service.py b/scripts/update/service.py
index 49756cb1a..9a1dd9ae6 100644
--- a/scripts/update/service.py
+++ b/scripts/update/service.py
@@ -1218,14 +1218,18 @@ def _classify_process(
         "process_start_ts": None,
         "classification": "unknown",
     }
+    # Read the process start ts FIRST so it is present even when the beacon is
+    # missing — the settle poll needs the process's age to tell a mid-boot
+    # process (worth waiting for) from a long-running one with no beacon.
+    if pid is not None:
+        result["process_start_ts"] = get_process_start_ts(pid)
     beacon = read_boot_beacon(project_dir / "data" / f"{process_name}_boot_sha")
     if beacon is None:
         return result
     result["boot_sha"], result["beacon_ts"] = beacon
     if pid is None:
         return result
-    start_ts = get_process_start_ts(pid)
-    result["process_start_ts"] = start_ts
+    start_ts = result["process_start_ts"]
     if start_ts is None:
         return result
     if result["beacon_ts"] <= start_ts:
@@ -1274,3 +1278,71 @@ def verify_running_release(project_dir: Path, head_sha: str, machine_check: dict
             project_dir, head_sha, "worker", get_worker_pid(), WORKER_RELEVANT_PATHS
         )
     return results
+
+
+def _is_mid_boot_unknown(info: dict, now: float, timeout_s: float) -> bool:
+    """True when this ``unknown`` is a live process that has not booted yet.
+
+    A mid-boot unknown is: a running process, whose start ts is readable, that
+    started less than ``timeout_s`` ago, and whose beacon is either absent or
+    orphaned (written by the previous image). Every other ``unknown`` — no PID,
+    unreadable start ts, an old process with no beacon, an unresolvable boot
+    SHA — is terminal, and polling it would only burn the window.
+    """
+    if info.get("classification") != "unknown" or not info.get("running"):
+        return False
+    start_ts = info.get("process_start_ts")
+    if start_ts is None or (now - start_ts) >= timeout_s:
+        return False
+    beacon_ts = info.get("beacon_ts")
+    return beacon_ts is None or beacon_ts <= start_ts
+
+
+def verify_running_release_settled(
+    project_dir: Path,
+    head_sha: str,
+    machine_check: dict,
+    settle_skip: tuple[str, ...] = (),
+    timeout_s: float | None = None,
+    interval_s: float | None = None,
+) -> dict:
+    """:func:`verify_running_release`, re-polled past a process's boot window.
+
+    Same return shape. While any classified process is a *mid-boot* ``unknown``
+    (see :func:`_is_mid_boot_unknown`), re-classify every
+    ``settings.timeouts.beacon_settle_interval_s`` until it resolves or
+    ``settings.timeouts.beacon_settle_timeout_s`` elapses — so a bridge or worker that was
+    restarting when /update reached its verify step lands on a real
+    ``matches``/``stale`` verdict instead of an unactionable ``unknown``.
+
+    ``settle_skip`` names processes never waited on (a deliberately
+    about-to-restart bridge under ``--skip-bridge``: its verdict is discarded
+    anyway, so waiting for it buys nothing). A terminal unknown returns
+    immediately — this never sleeps on a beacon that cannot arrive.
+    """
+    if timeout_s is None or interval_s is None:
+        # Read at call time, never at import (TimeoutSettings, #1968): both
+        # knobs are env-overridable via TIMEOUTS__BEACON_SETTLE_* and
+        # provisional.
+        from config.settings import settings  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        if timeout_s is None:
+            timeout_s = settings.timeouts.beacon_settle_timeout_s
+        if interval_s is None:
+            interval_s = settings.timeouts.beacon_settle_interval_s
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + timeout_s
+
+    def _needs_settle(results: dict) -> bool:
+        now = time.time()
+        return any(
+            _is_mid_boot_unknown(info, now, timeout_s)
+            for name, info in results.items()
+            if name not in settle_skip
+        )
+
+    results = verify_running_release(project_dir, head_sha, machine_check)
+    while _needs_settle(results) and time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        logger.info("verify_running_release: process still mid-boot — polling for a fresh beacon")
+        time.sleep(interval_s)
+        results = verify_running_release(project_dir, head_sha, machine_check)
+    return results
diff --git a/scripts/update/verify_release.py b/scripts/update/verify_release.py
index 904b1c6ea..14aabff6e 100644
--- a/scripts/update/verify_release.py
+++ b/scripts/update/verify_release.py
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
 the Race 1 mitigation. A beacon that never freshens past ``--since`` within
 the window means the worker failed to come up on new code → stale/fail.
 
+A process that is mid-boot when this runs (its beacon is missing or belongs to
+the previous image) is re-polled by
+``service.verify_running_release_settled`` until it resolves or the settle
+window elapses — a bridge restarting for ANY reason (this run's kickstart, the
+watchdog's recovery chain, a launchd relaunch) must not degrade the verdict to
+``unknown``.
+
 ``--skip-bridge`` is passed when a bridge restart is queued this cycle (the
 deliberately-about-to-restart bridge must not be escalated as stale).
 Independently of the flag, a fresh ``data/update-restart-in-progress``
@@ -117,7 +124,15 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     if args.since > 0 and machine_check.get("projects"):
         forced_worker_stale = not _poll_worker_beacon(project_dir, args.since)
 
-    results = service.verify_running_release(project_dir, head_short, machine_check)
+    # Settle past any mid-boot process (a bridge/worker restarted by this run,
+    # the watchdog, or launchd) so a restart in flight cannot degrade the
+    # verdict to `unknown`. A skipped bridge is never waited on.
+    results = service.verify_running_release_settled(
+        project_dir,
+        head_short,
+        machine_check,
+        settle_skip=("bridge",) if skip_bridge else (),
+    )
     if skip_bridge:
         results.pop("bridge", None)
     if forced_worker_stale and "worker" in results:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_update_release_verify.py b/tests/unit/test_update_release_verify.py
index cd7c2ea89..e0862c343 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_update_release_verify.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_update_release_verify.py
@@ -205,6 +205,87 @@ def test_process_not_running_classifies_unknown(repo, live_processes, monkeypatc
     assert results["bridge"]["classification"] == "unknown"
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Boot-beacon settle poll: a process restarting while /update verifies must
+# resolve to a real verdict instead of `unknown`.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def booting_bridge(monkeypatch, live_processes):
+    """Bridge exec'd 10s ago (mid-boot); worker long-running. Sleep is captured."""
+    bridge_start = time.time() - 10
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        service,
+        "get_process_start_ts",
+        lambda pid: bridge_start if pid == 4242 else PROC_START_TS,
+    )
+    sleeps: list[float] = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(service.time, "sleep", lambda s: sleeps.append(s))
+    return bridge_start, sleeps
+
+
+def test_mid_boot_bridge_settles_to_matches(repo, booting_bridge, monkeypatch):
+    """No beacon yet from a just-exec'd bridge: poll until it writes one."""
+    bridge_start, sleeps = booting_bridge
+    head = get_short_sha(repo)
+
+    def _sleep(_seconds):
+        sleeps.append(_seconds)
+        _write_beacon(repo, "bridge", head, bridge_start + 5)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(service.time, "sleep", _sleep)
+    results = service.verify_running_release_settled(repo, head, FULL_MACHINE_CHECK)
+    assert results["bridge"]["classification"] == "matches"
+    assert len(sleeps) == 1
+
+
+def test_orphaned_beacon_settles_to_stale(repo, booting_bridge, monkeypatch):
+    """The masked verdict was STALE: settling must surface it, not swallow it."""
+    bridge_start, sleeps = booting_bridge
+    old_sha = get_short_sha(repo)
+    _write_beacon(repo, "bridge", old_sha, bridge_start - 100)  # previous image
+    _commit(repo, "bridge/new_handler.py", "bridge-relevant commit")
+    head = get_short_sha(repo)
+
+    def _sleep(_seconds):
+        sleeps.append(_seconds)
+        _write_beacon(repo, "bridge", old_sha, bridge_start + 5)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(service.time, "sleep", _sleep)
+    results = service.verify_running_release_settled(repo, head, FULL_MACHINE_CHECK)
+    assert results["bridge"]["classification"] == "stale"
+    assert len(sleeps) == 1
+
+
+def test_settle_gives_up_at_the_timeout(repo, booting_bridge):
+    """A beacon that never arrives still returns — unknown, bounded."""
+    _, sleeps = booting_bridge
+    results = service.verify_running_release_settled(
+        repo, get_short_sha(repo), FULL_MACHINE_CHECK, timeout_s=0.05, interval_s=0
+    )
+    assert results["bridge"]["classification"] == "unknown"
+
+
+def test_long_running_process_without_beacon_never_polls(repo, live_processes, monkeypatch):
+    """Terminal unknown (process far older than the settle window): no waiting."""
+    sleeps: list[float] = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(service.time, "sleep", lambda s: sleeps.append(s))
+    results = service.verify_running_release_settled(repo, get_short_sha(repo), FULL_MACHINE_CHECK)
+    assert results["bridge"]["classification"] == "unknown"
+    assert sleeps == []
+
+
+def test_settle_skip_does_not_wait_for_a_skipped_bridge(repo, booting_bridge):
+    """--skip-bridge discards the bridge verdict, so it must not be waited on."""
+    _, sleeps = booting_bridge
+    _write_beacon(repo, "worker", get_short_sha(repo), PROC_START_TS + 100)
+    service.verify_running_release_settled(
+        repo, get_short_sha(repo), FULL_MACHINE_CHECK, settle_skip=("bridge",)
+    )
+    assert sleeps == []
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # get_process_start_ts (generalized, any-PID)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------